The Walk

The nine miles between Porlock and Minehead
adopt
the last (or first, depending on which way you view it) nine miles of
the
South West Peninsula Coast path (aka the South West Way). The other end
is at Poole, Dorset, and the whole route measures 594 miles. The
Porlock-Minehead
section is part of the Somerset Coast Path.

In this case, it must be admitted that the
term "coast path" is something of a misnomer. It is certainly the
nearest
right of way to the coast, but it does wander up to a mile inland at a
couple of points. The lack of coast and cliff scenery is, however,
grandly
compensated by the moorland environment. Today's route climbs and
crosses
Selworthy Beacon, a semidetached outlier of Exmoor and in my opinion
its
most scenic corner. The walking is easy, the views are wide, the air is
clear. To the west, the North Devon coast path looks very inviting. To
the south is Dunkery Beacon, and the latter half of yesterday's hike.
To
the east are the Quantocks and the coastal plains of the Bristol
channel.
And to the north, across the channel, is Wales.

The walk is logistically simple - there is
a regular, though infrequent, bus service between Minehead and Porlock.
Minehead itself is easily reached by bus from Taunton, which has fast
rail
connections to Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and London. Get out there, and
enjoy!

Map: 1:25000 OS Outdoor
Leisure
9 (Exmoor)

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Porlock

Porlock is a small, but charming, village
characterized by haphazard architecture and a winding main street with
impossibly narrow pavements. Our route does not actually go through the
village centre. Assuming that you've taken a while out to explore the
village,
you should now return to the main road junction where you ended
yesterday's
walk. Go back along the main Minehead road for a short distance, where
you will find a lane forking off to the left. Follow this road past the
residential roads to the north of the village. It becomes a lane, which
bifurcates just north of the last houses. Take the right turning, which
almost immediately turns left again, running between and alongside
hedgerows
northeastwards to the tiny locality of Bossington.

Bossington

Just as you enter Bossington you reach the
coast path proper, at a "T" junction. Turn right onto the lane through
the village. After about 200 meters turn left, then left again, to
cross
the bridge over a fast-flowing stream. This is the same river you
crossed
yesterday in Horner wood. It was called Horner Water at that point; the
map is reticent about any other name closer to the coast despite it
having
been joined by another stream or two.

The base of Bossington Hill

The path runs out northwards towards the
coast
now, rounding the base of Bossington Hill. At first it runs among and
then
beside a grove of tree cover, but after a few hundred meters it emerges
into more open scenery.

Hurlstone Point

The path is running about 50 ft above sea
level and from even this slight elevation there is a grand view of the
Somerset coast across Porlock Bay. About a kilometre out of Bossington
the path reaches the coast itself at last, by a ruined fortification
overlooking
the rocky headland of Hurlstone Point. Perversely, after tramping all
the
way across Devon and Somerset to reach the north coast, we immediately
spurn it again and turn hard right for the path ascending through
Hurlstone
Combe to the high ground of Selworthy Beacon.

Bossington Hill

At the top of the combe you have a choice
of routes. The direct coast path across Selworthy Beacon continues
straight
ahead ESE, but since today's walk is a short one you might like to take
the side trail around the lip of Bossington Hill. This diversion is
highly
recommended as it encompasses splendid views across Porlock bay to the
west, and across the bulk of Exmoor - including Dunkery Beacon and the
ground covered yesterday - to the southwest and south. To the north you
will be able to see clear across the Bristol Channel to Wales.

At the top of the combe, on about the
200-metre
contour, turn hard right for the path around the top of the hill.
Tending
west at first, it curves around to the southwest and then the south.
Excellent
views open up across the bulk of Exmoor.

The path continues around the lip of the
hill
and curves round to the east to enter Church Combe. You can follow the
path around and out of the combe, walking east past the top corner of a
wood, to a wide dog-leg at South Combe back up to the plateau.
Alternatively
you can cut off a good kilometre of distance by climbing up the
trackless
grass in Church Combe direct - this is what I did and there are no
difficulties.
You very quickly find yourself on the 243m moorland summit of
Bossington
Hill.

Selworthy Beacon lies ahead, slightly
south
of east. There is actually no discernible drop in height, and a gentle
upward trek lies ahead. Keep towards the highest ground, and in a very
short distance your line will merge with that of a vehicle track About
800 meters east of Bossington Hill this track merges with the route of
the Coast path, one kilometre short of Selworthy Beacon itself.

Selworthy Beacon

Selworthy Beacon is not a dramatic summit,
but rather the highest point of a sprawl of moorland detached
from
the rest of Exmoor by the Porlock-Minehead gap. Although it is not
physically
joined to the bulk of Exmoor it is geographically part of it, and is in
my opinion the most scenic section of the Park. It certainly gives the
easiest and most straightforward walking.

Follow the broad ridge as far as a
"scissors"
crossing half a kilometre short of Selworthy beacon itself. The path
junction
lies almost exactly a mile south of Minehead Bluff, the northernmost
point
of coast hereabouts. Although the coast itself is not visible, the
views
northwards across the Bristol Channel to Wales are extensive. At the
crossing
the Coast path proper turns half left, bypassing the summit of
Selworthy
to the north. The other branch of the path, leading straight on, heads
to the summit. You can choose either route - I recommend a visit to the
summit.

Selworthy Beacon has an elevation of 308
meters,
just a tad short of a thousand feet above sea level. The End-to-End
will
not achieve a similar elevation again before the Pennines are reached,
except for the Quantock Hills - two days' walk to the east and visible
from here as a dark mass of skyline in that direction.

The ridge path onwards from Selworthy
Beacon
tends slightly south of east and soon runs very close to a motor road.
The traffic on this moorland road is light and not too distracting,
though
you could find the car park an unwelcome visual intrusion. Just past
the
car park a side trail heading off to the left get you back to the coast
path, which is followed ever eastwards.

Bratton Ball

The coast path north of Bratton Ball

Bratton Ball is the name of the moorland
summit
a mile and a half east of Selworthy Beacon. If you stay on the ridge
path
from Selworthy you cross this 280-metre summit having walked a mile
parallel
and close to the road. The coast path proper, however, avoids it and
traverses
the quieter northern slopes.

The coast path from Bratton Ball to North Hill

The path hits a dogleg at the top of
Burgundy
Chapel Combe and, for the first time, tends close to the actual coast
at
last. The map marks a rough, steep and sketchy path down the combe
which
provides an alternative route, though I would recommend staying on the
approved coast path as the following woodland section is so good.

North Hill

North of Greenaleigh Farm, which is perched
on
the narrow coastal shelf out of sigh below, the coast path makes the
seamless
crossing from Bratton Ball to North Hill. For the final mile into
Minehead
the path enters a dark tunnel of woodland which soon reveals itself to
be a playground of rich vegetation and sun-dappled scenery. (Typically,
I ran out of film at this point and still have to make good my promise
to revisit Minehead and photograph this missing mile). The woodland
stretch
ends without warning - suddenly there is a clearing ahead and beside
you,
and Minehead lays sprawled at your feet.

Minehead

Minehead has a bit of a national
reputation
as a typically downmarket seaside resort but that reputation is
undeserved.
It is a lively and fairly handsome little town, largely Victorian, that
just happens to have a coastline as a bonus. The former Butlins holiday
camp, one of a chain that brought seaside holidays to the masses in the
post-war years, is nowadays known as Somerset World and is detached
from
the town proper to the east. Here, on the western side of town, the
residential
streets sprawl up the slopes of North Hill to form an exotic and
wealthy
mini-district of large villas hidden within riots of vegetation. One of
the most prominent of these villas is the Beaconwood
Hotel, where I've stayed on both of my visits to the town.

A feature of the Beaconwood is the
first-floor
balconies that give amazing views across Minehead towards Dunster, and
out to the Bristol Channel. From North Hill, Minehead looks quite
exotic
and its sheltered position on the west coast allows some Mediterranean
plants such as palm trees to flourish here.

The coast path emerges at the end of a
surfaced
residential road high on North Hill, and from here the official route
descends
down a zigzag path through a stand of trees to reach the beach just
west
of the town centre. A road sign here tells you that Poole, the other
end
of the South West Way, is 500 miles distant; the official figure given
in the guidebooks is 594 miles and is rather more plausible.

You've arrived, then, at Minehead - end of
the South West Way (aka the South West peninsula Coastal Path) and also
the terminus of the Devon Coast-to-Coast. Walk eastwards along the
short
coastal strip to the head of the main street, about 300 meters to the
east.
The terminus of Britain's longest stretch of preserved steam railway is
adjacent, and beyond it is Somerset World and a local coast path to
Dunster.
Minehead's major claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of the
celebrated
science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke.

The West Somerset Railway

The trains don't go anywhere really
useful;
the line runs three-quarters of the way to Taunton but the line only
really
comes into its own as a transport link on summer Sundays and bank
holidays,
when the rail services are more frequent and more conveniently timed
than
the buses. The bus terminus lays at the other end of the main street,
the
picking-up point for the Taunton run being in a side-street to the left.